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Pre-Thanksgiving news roundup (Comments now open)

Wednesday, Nov 22, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Big story in the Tribune from Rick Pearson

A political committee that helped expand the Democratic majority on the Illinois Supreme Court and was backed by Illinois Senate President Don Harmon emptied its bank account just weeks after being notified it faced one of the largest state election fines ever for failing to timely disclose millions of dollars it spent until after last November’s election.

On Tuesday, the State Board of Elections issued a final order assessing $99,500 in fines against the All for Justice political action committee. The action followed a Tribune story earlier this year detailing the PAC’s reporting deficiencies as it spent more than $7.3 million on independent expenditures supporting Democratic Justices Elizabeth Rochford and Mary Kay O’Brien, both of whom won their campaigns and increased the court’s Democratic majority to 5-2 from a previous 4-3 advantage.

All for Justice was notified Aug. 3 by the state elections board it would be fined for 35 specific violations of failing to timely disclose to the public its spending on behalf of Rochford and O’Brien in the crucial closing months before the November 2022 election.

The PAC was given 30 days to appeal or seek a reduction in the fines, but did not do so. Instead, on Aug. 31, it transferred its remaining cash balance of $149,516 to another independent expenditure committee, Chicago Independent Alliance, a PAC that has been dormant since July 2019, six months after it was created.

Go read the rest. One heck of a story by Pearson.

* Another strong story from Pearson

James Peyton Philip was a symbol of Chicago suburban political growth in the post-World War II era of white flight from the city, a hulking, cigar chomping retired Marine who helped build a Republican firewall against Chicago’s Democratic domination as Illinois Senate president for a decade.

Philip, 93, known most commonly in Illinois statehouse politics by the nickname “Pate,” died Tuesday night at his home in Wood Dale after a short illness, with his wife of 46 years, Nancy, at his side. No cause of death was given.

Philip served for 36 years in the Illinois General Assembly, eight in the Illinois House before moving to the state Senate, where he served for 28 years and climbed the ladder of leadership to become Senate president in 1993. He remained president for a decade before retiring in 2003 after Democrats gained control of the chamber. His tenure marked him as the longest serving Republican Senate president.

“’Pate’ was very loyal to his members. I mean, he would really do whatever it took that he thought to help them get reelected. And of all the leaders, he probably was the most committed to the rank and file,” said former Republican Gov. Jim Edgar, who served from 1991 to 1999.

The family’s obituary is here. At Pate’s request, “no services will be held and burial will be private.”

* Thrillist

Multiple studies have shown it, and new video evidence from social media is proving the point: Airlines are way too often careless with wheelchairs and mobility devices.

On TikTok, a video just went viral for showing an American Airlines baggage handler mishandling a passenger’s wheelchair and carelessly shoving it down a ramp that is, according to observant commenters on X (formerly Twitter), reserved for checked bags.

The video with US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s response…


From US Sen. Tammy Duckworth…

This video is shocking, but not surprising based on my own travel experiences or those of anyone who relies on a mobility device to live their lives fully. Since I passed a law requiring public disclosure of how often airlines damage mobility devices, data shows that far too many wheelchair users land at their destinations only to find their wheelchairs broken, often irreparably. It’s completely unacceptable to treat critical medical devices like this, and experiences like these are exactly why I won’t stop fighting to hold our airlines accountable.

* Today is Oscar’s birthday! I probably shouldn’t have interrupted his birthday nap to take this pic, however…

* More…

    * Capitol News Illinois | State high court skeptical municipal police and fire pension consolidation hurt retirees’ voting rights: But attorney Daniel Konicek said his clients’ objection wasn’t about the money, but rather their say in how the money is managed. “It completely, undeniably diluted their ability to put people on a five-person board that they knew, versus these new boards of people that are statewide and (they) don’t know,” Konicek told the justices. But nearly before he was done speaking, Justice Mary K. O’Brien cut in. “How does that impact whether or not they get a check at the end of the month or on the 19th of the month?” she asked.

    * Sun-Times | Burger King owner’s ‘gut feeling’ told him he should have hired Ed Burke’s law firm: The Texas businessman might have been new to Chicago when he visited one of his Burger King restaurants here in 2017, but he’d been given a little insight into the man he’d be meeting — that Ald. Edward M. Burke was one of the city’s “most powerful” politicians. So Shoukat Dhanani came to Chicago. He had lunch with Burke at a country club and let Burke tell him all about his property tax business. When it was over, Dhanani’s company secured a building permit and began to remodel its Burger King at 41st Street and Pulaski Road. All seemed well until that work was shut down late in 2017 — by Burke. Dhanani testified Tuesday that he had a “gut feeling” why the longtime City Council member intervened.

    * WTTW | ‘I’d Also Like to Get Some of His Law Business’: Jurors Hear Evidence of Former Ald. Ed Burke’s Alleged Attempt to Extort Burger King Owners: During that meeting, Burke mentioned — unprompted — that he owned a property tax law firm and how he’s been “very successful,” Dhanani testified. Dhanani said he believed Burke brought this up because he “thought maybe he’s wanting us to give him the property tax business,” even though they already had a company that handled such matters. “I thought it might make it easier for us to get our permits,” he testified, when asked why he would consider giving Burke’s firm his business. They also discussed driveway permits for the trucks, though Dhanani believed his business did not need such a permit because the driveway was shared by several businesses in an attached shopping center.f

    * Tribune | ‘I’d also like to get some of his law business’: Testimony in ex-Ald. Ed Burke corruption trial moves to alleged Burger King scheme: Three days later, Burke talked to political friend Rodney Ellis, a county commissioner in Texas, about Dhanani. “I’ll let him know how important you are,” Ellis told Burke on the call. “Well, you’re good to do that, but I’d also like to get some of his law business,” Burke responded. “I hear he’s got 300 Burger Kings here.”

    * Withers Syndication | Former IL Senator set to be tried for campaign fraud, tax evasion: A former Illinois State Senator and gubernatorial candidate agreed in court Monday to be tried by a judge next week rather than a jury in his federal campaign fraud case. William “Sam” McCann is accused of knowingly defrauding people who donated or contributed to his campaigns for Senator and then for governor, starting in 2015, and continuing through 2020. Monday’s bench trial will come just months after a public defender representing the indicted former GOP lawmaker withdrew from the case, saying their attorney-client relationship was broken. Another public defender was then appointed to represent McCann. Seven of the counts against McCann allege fraudulent misuse of campaign money and providing false reports to the IRS.

    * WCBU | Democrat ends campaign for 93rd House District ahead of filing window: In a statement, Zoey Carter said only that “the higher powers above have deemed it not quite my time yet.” Republican Travis Weaver is the current representative for the district, which includes Pekin, Edwards, and Kewanee. The district leans heavily conservative. Carter would have been the first out trans person in the Illinois General Assembly if elected.

    * Sun-Times | Dogs sickened by mystery respiratory illness, veterinarians urge vigilance: Symptoms include coughing, sneezing and discharge from the eyes or nose. While typically mild to moderate, the sickness can lead to complications such as pneumonia and in some cases even death, a local vet says.

    * NBC 5 | Gov. Pritzker tweets video of him taking shot of Malort when asked about the beverage: Gov. Pritzker took the shot with ease, not appearing to be thrown off at all by the beverage’s intense bitterness and openly embracing one of Chicago’s many unofficial symbols.

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Wednesday, Nov 22, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Reader comments closed for Thanksgiving

Tuesday, Nov 21, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I’m thankful for so much these days, and all of you are part of that. Happy Thanksgiving!

Per our long tradition

But Alice doesn’t live in the restaurant

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Afternoon roundup

Tuesday, Nov 21, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The “detective” (among others in the replies) failed to click the link. The second paragraph clearly states that the suspect was held without bond. So many irresponsible people spread false claims about the coming of “The Purge 2″ last year, and even though it hasn’t happened, too many still presume it did…

Meanwhile, in La Salle County

The SAFE-T Act eliminated cash bail in Illinois. When the new policy was instituted in Illinois this year, pictures were painted of criminals walking free soon after arrest, of an increase in crime, and of jails sitting empty. But what’s the actual result been so far?

The jury’s still out, of course, and it’s just one man’s experience in just one of the state’s 102 counties. But Jason Edgcomb should know. He’s the superintendent of the La Salle County Jail.

Edgcomb told Peru Rotary members last week that, in his jail, anyway, the population’s gone down only slightly, and he says the act hasn’t resulted in an increase in crime. Edgcomb told Rotarians not to believe everything they hear about criminals being released. He noted that violent criminals are still kept locked up.

* US Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi has sent another letter to the Census Bureau director

As I continue my review of the 2020 Decennial Census population counts for Illinois and look ahead to the 2030 Census, I am writing to request an update on your efforts to address the repeated potential undercounting of Illinois as assessed by the Post-Enumeration Survey (PES) for the 2020 Census.

In my letters last year and earlier this year, I requested information and updates on the state of the Census Bureau’s methodological review. My interest in these reforms centers on addressing the American Community Survey (ACS) and Census data in recent years which showed Illinois losing a significant portion of its population only for the May 2022 PES to conclude that Illinois was among the 14 states which had been significantly undercounted or overcounted in the 2020 decennial Census.

In addition to helping dispel years of false narratives about Illinois’ purported decline driven by Census Bureau products, those PES findings also raised serious questions for Illinois officials as to the reliability of the Census Bureau’s results more broadly. The implications of such errors could not be more serious when Census Bureau data will be utilized over the next decade to allocate roughly $1.5 trillion in federal funding through approximately 100 programs, including Medicaid, SNAP, Medicare, Highway Planning and Construction, and Pell grants.

In its May 10, 2023, response to my last inquiry, your agency’s Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs provided an update on the Base Evaluation and Research Team (BERT) initiative as well as to other methodological review activities. Further, the letter noted that, among other ongoing review and audit processes, that the Population Estimates Program (PEP) “is researching ways to improve methods of measuring annual population change.”

In light of your agency’s most recent updates to my office on methodological review efforts and outstanding questions, I request answers to these additional questions by November 30:

    1. What is the status of the Census Bureau’s effort to pursue “an expansion of the [Population Estimates Program] so that it may better build an infrastructure that can support not only the timely production of estimates but also the research it needs to modernize and improve its methodology?”
    2. In its May 2023 letter, your Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs described research activities including the [Base Evaluation and Research Team] and the 2020 Demographic Analysis (DA) as “an ongoing, multiyear endeavor.” What is the timeline for those efforts, and will they be completed prior to the first phases of the 2030 Decennial Census?
    3. How soon will new research review findings be applied to improve PEP data products, and could methodological changes be applied retroactively?
    4. What findings from your methodological reviews can be applied to the revision and improvement of the 2020 Decennial Census’ results?

* I don’t understand this story. It’s supposed to be about how lots of South and West Side dog bites are somehow connected to a lack of dog parks and related amenities. But it starts out by describing a dog-bite incident in Uptown, then describes Uptown as being rich in dog parks and says Uptown has some of the worst dog biting problems in the city

Dog bites hit South and West Sides hardest — areas that lack dog parks, pet shops, other resources […]

On a late August evening, a woman and a man with two kids and two dogs, on-leash, were walking past her at Sunnyside Avenue and Clark Street in Uptown. Kelly had her dog, a Chihuahua, in a bag slung over her shoulder.

The woman walked by and a dog jumped up. Kelly thought it was friendly until it bit her left breast. The dog jumped up again toward her face, which she blocked with her left arm, getting bitten again. […]

In Uptown, where Kelly was bitten, 127 complaints have been filed in the past four years, a higher number than all but a dozen of the city’s 77 community areas.

While dog bites over the past few years have taken place all across the city, including in communities such as Uptown where there are several dog parks, communities with the highest number of complaints are largely on the South and West sides, which offer fewer resources for dogs and their owners.

* Press release…

Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) launched $25.5 million in funding for the Equitable Energy Future Grants Program as part of a larger strategy to equitably grow the clean energy workforce in Illinois through the landmark Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA). The program supports renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in low-income and historically disadvantaged communities to grow and diversify the clean energy ecosystem across Illinois. Grantees will be selected through a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) process.

“Since day one, I have prioritized moving our state into a clean energy future that is equitable in every facet,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Curbing the devastating effects of climate change requires decisive action. In Illinois, we are making history with the implementation of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, and The Equitable Energy Future program is a key cornerstone of that approach.”

The goal of the Equitable Energy Future program is to provide seed and pre-development funding opportunities to eligible contractors to support the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects benefitting businesses, community organizations and the workforce in historically disadvantaged communities. The program is designed to help remove barriers to projects, community and business development efforts caused by lack of access to capital.

* More from Isabel…

    * Bloomberg | The New Jersey Mayor With a Plan to End Traffic Deaths: Armed with the Vision Zero plan, Hoboken has steadily been making incremental changes to its streets and transportation policies — with profound results. In 2021, Bhalla welcomed Citi Bike, which as of this summer has recorded more than 850,000 trips. In 2022, he lowered the citywide speed limit to 20 miles per hour (32 kilometers per hour). Crosswalks have been painted and repaved to increase their visibility, and more than 40 curb extensions have been installed to nudge cars farther from intersections. Today, nearly half of Hoboken’s roads have bike lanes. … While pedestrian deaths in the US reach 40-year highs, Hoboken hasn’t reported a single traffic death since January 2017, and injuries have dropped 41%.

    * Iowa Capitol Dispatch | Wolf asks to withdraw Illinois pipeline request and refile: Ferguson said Wolf will apply again early next year with the Illinois Commerce Commission for permission to build its pipeline system. About 90 miles of pipe in eastern Iowa would connect to two ethanol plants to transport their captured carbon dioxide to Illinois for underground sequestration. Wolf made its application for a certificate of authority to construct and operate its pipeline in Illinois in June 2023. In October, a commission engineer recommended that the application be denied for a number of reasons.

    * Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs | If some Republicans had their way, my twin sons wouldn’t be here: Allow us to explain. Erica suffers from endometriosis, a condition that makes it difficult to conceive a child naturally. But in vitro fertilization made it possible for us to conceive, and we are very thankful for the doctors and nurses who helped us through that process. Erica gave birth in June, and Theo had to fight for his life, spending nearly eight weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit at Northwestern Medicine Prentice Women’s Hospital. We are incredibly thankful for the doctors and nurses who helped pull Theo through a life-threatening scare.

    * Shaw Local | Local Republican Party seeks ban on providing gender-affirming care in Huntley School District 158: Orville Brettman, chairman of the Grafton Township GOP, sent out a news release detailing the party’s request to add the following paragraph to the school district policy: “It shall be the policy of District 158 that written consent from a minor’s parent or guardian be required before any entity, person, school clinic or school staff can provide a minor (under the age of 18 years) any non-emergency medical procedure, medication, pharmaceutical, or any gender modification procedure, gender identification counseling or gender therapy while on School District property.” However, District 158 policy already requires parents and guardians to sign and submit a form to the school giving permission for a student to take any medication at school, before school staff can administer medication or supervise a student administering it to themselves.

    * WICS | Illinois offers funds to train substance abuse counselors: The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) and the Illinois Certification Board (ICB) have joined forces to help train those that want to become certified to help people struggling with substance abuse disorders. This partnership was made to address the ongoing behavioral health workforce shortage and continue to sustain a recovery-oriented system of care for individuals and families across Illinois affected by substance use disorder.

    * Sun-Times | Cousin of former Harvey Mayor Eric Kellogg pleads guilty to bribery charge: According to a federal complaint filed in 2019, Kellogg spent years shaking down a strip club owner of thousands of dollars a month in exchange for allowing prostitution in the club. He wasn’t charged in the complaint, which referred to him only as “Individual A” and “Mayor of the City of Harvey.” But his cousin, Corey Johnson, was charged with collecting bribes from the now-closed club, Arnie’s Idle Hour, and delivering the cash to Kellogg’s brother Rommell Kellogg, who also is charged in the corruption case.

    * Sun-Time | Biden approves federal disaster help for parts of Cook County hit in September storm: The White House said in a release that the declaration unlocks a package of federal financial assistance that include “grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.”

    * Arielle Johnson | New York’s ride-hailing revolution presents an opportunity for Chicago: Under New York State Attorney General Letitia James, ride-share giant Uber has agreed to a groundbreaking settlement, marking a major win for drivers and for the underserved communities so many hail from. James’ announcement marks the end of a years-long case, with Lyft also signing a similar agreement, reinforcing the power of this collective movement for change. This extraordinary development is one that our Chicago City Council should follow if it intends to secure the rights and well-being of ride-share drivers, and ensure that these critical services continue to be affordable for residents and visitors alike.

    * Center Square | Group gives Illinois poor marks for laws protecting young trafficking survivors: Shared Hope has produced the report cards and state analyses annually since 2011 as a tool to assist public policy activists and state elected officials in developing and advocating for better laws to support sex trafficking survivors. […] Illinois was one of several states to receive an “F” grade for its efforts, including a poor score in the category of identification of and response to victims. Illinois also received a poor grade in prevention and training in the area for juvenile justice agencies, law enforcement, prosecutors and school personnel.

    * Daily Chronicle | Sycamore firearms instructor charged with forging concealed carry licenses: Brian K. Fleming, 44, of Sycamore, was charged with forgery, a Class 3 felony punishable by up to five years in prison, and unlawful violation of the Illinois Firearm Concealed Carry Act, a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to 364 days in county jail, according to DeKalb County court records. The Illinois Attorney General’s office is prosecuting Fleming.

    * Shaw Local | Machinists union organizing Lion Electric in Joliet: The organization effort is well underway, and workers have signed cards showing their intention to form the union, Machinists Organizer Chris Tucker said. “We have a supermajority of support,” Tucker said. “We filed for an election.” The election to determine whether the union will represent workers would involve about 140 workers now employed in production, according to the machinists.

    * Daily Herald | UAW chief, having won concessions from strikes, aims to expand membership to nonunion automakers: According to Fain, workers at some nonunion plants, including the electric vehicle sales leader, Tesla, have contacted the UAW about joining the union, which hasn’t even begun its organizing efforts. Fain noted that the nonunion companies didn’t raise pay for their workers until after the UAW won general and cost-of-living raises, which should reach 33% by the time the contacts expire in 2028. “Companies play their workers as fools sometimes,” he said in the interview. “They care about keeping more for themselves and leaving the employees to fend for themselves.”

    * Crain’s | Ford scales down Michigan EV battery plant plans: The project planned for Marshall, a town about 15 miles east of Battle Creek, is now expected to create 1,700 jobs, a 32% reduction from the 2,500 announced previously. Planned capacity of the lithium iron phosphate battery plant is being slashed by more than 40% to just 20 gigawatt hours. Total investment in the plant will likely be reduced by the same measure — from $3.5 billion to roughly $2.2 billion — said Mark Truby, chief communications officer for Ford.

    * WaPo | Binance chief Changpeng Zhao to plead guilty to money laundering: The deal ends the Department of Justice’s three-year investigation of Binance and comes months after the firm was accused by regulators of operating as an unregistered securities exchange. Zhao’s departure marks the end of an era for one of the crypto industry’s longest standing titans, who for years sparred with regulators en route to Binance becoming the largest crypto exchange in the world.

    * Evanston Round Table | Message from the mayor: My thoughts on Ryan Field: Even though the back-and-forth was sometimes contentious, I was pleased and impressed with the seriousness with which the City Council took all perspectives into consideration. After all this input and lots of consideration, I decided to vote yes on this project, including the zoning changes, because I believe it will have a positive long-term impact on the City and its residents.

    * NBC Chicago | Illinois among states impacted by Listeria outbreak linked to fruit sold in grocery stores: According to the CDC, as many as 11 people reported illnesses as part of the outbreak. Ten people were hospitalized and one death was reported, the CDC said. An announcement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration linked the outbreak to peaches, plums and nectarines from HMC Farms that were distributed nationwide and sold in retail stores between May 1 and Nov.15, in both 2022 and 2023.

    * AP | IRS delays reporting rules for users of Venmo, Cash App and other payment apps: Originally, app users who made $600 or more selling goods and services would have been required to report those transactions to the IRS, a new threshold required by the American Rescue Plan passed in March 2021. Instead, payment apps and online marketplaces will send out separate tax forms — called 1099-K documents — for taxpayers who receive over $20,000 and make over 200 transactions selling goods or services.

    * Rockford Register Star | 2023 IHSA football state championship games: Players to watch and predictions: The Illinois High School Association football state championships are here. Sixteen of the state’s best teams will meet in eight title games scheduled for Friday and Saturday at Hancock Stadium on the campus of Illinois State University.

    * Daily Herald | How your Thanksgiving cooking oil can be transformed into biofuel: The nonprofit SCARCE coordinates with 13 drop-off locations throughout DuPage County that collect cooking oil year-round. Because most of these locations are not open on weekends, additional temporary drop-off locations are available the Saturday after Thanksgiving each year.

    * Informa | Specialty crops thrive in Illinois: Illinois boasts No. 1 in pumpkins and horseradish production; top 10 in products like cauliflower, broccoli, peas and asparagus; and the third-highest number of farmers markets in the country. Illinois Farm Bureau, the Illinois Specialty Growers Association and other local food leaders around the state developed a Local Food Directory to connect consumers directly with Illinois farms, farmers markets, grocery stores and farm stands based on location. They have over 2,400 farm and food businesses listed across the state, and it’s free to register.

    * NBC Chicago | How to watch the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC: In addition to streaming the Chicago Thanksgiving Parade, watch one of the biggest Thanksgiving celebrations in the country: the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Expect to see 25 giant balloons, 31 floats, celebrity stars, dancers and more make their way through the 2.5-mile route throughout the streets of New York City on a three-and-a-half-hour procession.

    * NBC Chicago | This Illinois hotel is in the top 1% of hotels in the world — and it’s not in Chicago: No, this isn’t a bed and breakfast in the English countryside. It’s not a fancy five-star Chicago hotel, either. It’s the Deer Path Inn — an estate-like getaway in the quaint, northern suburbs of picturesque Lake Forest. Down the street, a number of local businesses line the historic market square, which was built in the style of an English village. And though some of the town’s anchors — like Marshall Field & Company — have not stood the test of time, the Deer Path Inn has.

    * AP | The Rolling Stones bringing 2024 North American Tour to Chicago’s Soldier Field June 27: Tuesday, the legendary English band announced they’re taking it on the road, including a show Thursday, June 27, at Chicago’s Soldier Field. Starting on April 28 in Houston and concluding in Santa Clara, California, on July 17, the Stones will make their way across the U.S. and Canada.

  8 Comments      


Happy Thanksgiving! You’re all fired

Tuesday, Nov 21, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From the News Guild

The Unions of Lee Enterprises is denouncing plans by Lee Enterprises to sell The Southern Illinoisan newspaper to Paxton Media Group under terms that will result in the elimination of all the local journalists who currently work for it.

Despite pronouncements by Paxton Media on Oct. 27 that it will foster “community-based journalism” and “expand” coverage through the purchase of The Southern Illinoisan, the entire union-represented newsroom has been told they should clear out their desks by Nov. 24. […]

While the specific terms of the deal have not been disclosed, it appears Paxton is simply buying the paper’s name, advertising and subscriber lists while refusing to employ the 10 union journalists who have spent their livelihoods informing the local community. This is the definition of union busting.

Meanwhile, the Unions of Lee Enterprises is aware of a local investor from the community who has offered to match or exceed the purchase price for The Southern Illinoisan. The counteroffer would continue contracting with other Lee Enterprises holdings, honor the union contract, and maintain the employment of its newsroom journalists, ensuring continued quality journalism for the local community. […]

If this is the road Lee Enterprises intends to travel, where it guts newspaper holdings and passes on what’s left to disingenuous buyers who will disinvest in local news coverage, then all the communities where Lee owns news organizations have reason to fear for the future. This is not a plan for long-term growth. In fact, it’s no kind of plan at all.

* WSIL

PMG, according to a letter from the Unions of Lee Enterprises, decided to let go of the paper’s 10 journalists and editors once its purchase was finalized.

In response, the Unions of Lee Enterprises filed a grievance which pauses the purchase and questions Lee Enterprises’ motives behind the sale. Halstead believes the sale fails to protect the union and its members.

“They sold it as an asset. So it’s like somebody selling their kitchen table,” Halstead said.

The grievance argues Lee Enterprises failed to follow the successorship language established in the union’s collective bargaining agreement.

Once settled, 10 reporters and editors with over 80 years of combined experience will be gone. […]

Halstead says their last day was originally November 24, Black Friday. The grievance bought them at least another week of work. What happens next is anyone’s guess.

  14 Comments      


Gun rights advocates want full appellate court to re-hear assault weapons ban case

Tuesday, Nov 21, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From a few days ago…

Today the Illinois State Rifle Association, along with many other groups, filed an En Banc appeal of the recent decision by the US 7th Circuit to deny an injunction against Illinois’ “Assault Weapons” ban.

“The ISRA fought this unconstitutional ban on common firearms at the Statehouse and promised to see Governor Pritzker in court when it passed. Today’s appeal is the next step on the road to a likely hearing in front of the US Supreme Court. The ISRA remains committed to standing beside our fellow 2nd Amendment Defenders in Illinois against this law and we will fight all the way to the Supreme Court” – Richard Pearson, Executive Director, ISRA

The appeal was filed to have the entire US 7th Circuit Court to hear the original petition for relief on the basis that the 2-1 panel decision conflicts with existing US Supreme Court precedent set forth in the Bruen decision, and conflicts with the recent US 9th Circuit Decision in Teter v Lopez. That decision further strengthened the argument against the banning of firearms in common use under the schemes used by Governor Pritzker and the Illinois General Assembly.

The petition is here.

* Yesterday…

Today, Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) announced the filing of an en banc petition with the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in its lawsuit challenging the Illinois “assault weapon” and magazine bans. The petition comes after a 3-judge panel reversed the preliminary injunction FPC secured at the district court. The petition in Harrel v. Raoul case, along with other case documents, can be viewed at FPCLaw.org.

“Bruen makes crystal clear why [Illinois’] ban is unconstitutional, as firearms and their feeding devices are plainly ‘arms’ no matter what features they possess, and the arms Illinois has banned are among the most common arms in possession today,” argues the petition. “Yet rather than meaningfully engage with the textual and historical analysis Bruen laid out, the panel majority embraced the remarkable proposition that Illinois’ ban does not even implicate the Second Amendment, on the theory that none of the newly outlawed rifles, pistols, shotguns, and feeding devices are ‘arms’ at all.”

“This case is a prime candidate for review of the entirety of the Seventh Circuit given its clear departure from the Supreme Court’s unqualified command and its misunderstanding of basic firearm operation,” said Cody J. Wisniewski, FPC Action Foundation’s General Counsel and Vice President of Legal, and counsel for FPC. “The arms at issue, both the firearms and magazines, are constitutionally protected and cannot be banned. The people of Illinois have a right to possess them, just as do all peaceable people around the country.”

FPC is joined in this lawsuit by the Second Amendment Foundation and the Illinois State Rifle Association.

  37 Comments      


Migrant news coverage roundup

Tuesday, Nov 21, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ABC Chicago | Oak Park trustees vote to spend an additional $500K to help migrants through winter: The additional money is coming from unspent federal funds, not from local taxes. The vote was four to three to approve the measure. […] Meanwhile, the village is scheduled to meet with Cook County officials to see if they can provide some funding support in the future.

* KMOV | ‘They can come here’: Mayor Jones fires back at St. Charles County attempt to block immigrants from moving to St. Louis: Mayor Tishaura Jones said she is excited for hundreds of Latino migrants to come to St. Louis. “We are eager to get to work and eager to make sure that people who come here for a myriad of reasons, especially if they are fleeing a dangerous situation that they are welcomed in St. Louis,” said St. Louis City Mayor Tishaura Jones.

* South Side Weekly | Finding Comfort in a New Spiritual Home: The Medinas are Catholic, a denomination that comprises more than sixty percent of Venezuela’s population according to the most recent census. When the family arrived in Chicago, they felt it was important to seek out a faith community that reflected their values. “I told my husband let’s go look for a church, let’s go, but there are so many churches here,” Yesica said. “We found this church in district nine at the police station. They were handing out fliers and that’s where it all started.”

* Sun-Times | Brighton Park migrant tent site construction blocked by protesters: ‘Show me the permit; I’m ready to go to jail.’: About a dozen protesters planted themselves at the entrance of the site at 38th Street and California Avenue, demanding a copy of an environmental assessment of the lot and of construction work permits authorizing building to begin on a space intended to house migrants. […] On Monday, protesters stopped crews from putting a layer of gravel over the lot, a requirement for building a tent site, according to city officials who last week said lots had to have a concrete or gravel base to be under consideration.

* CBS Chicago | Migrant tents gone from outside Near North District police station: Officials said there will also be more personnel to help reunite migrants with family, friends, or sponsors. For many, Chicago isn’t their final destination. The effort will help free up space in city shelters for those who plan to stay in the city. The city is also cracking down on drivers in rogue buses. Those drivers will no longer be allowed to randomly drop off migrants at a location without notice. The bus companies will be cited and fined.

* Melissa Gatter | A Camp is Never a Solution: I learned one major lesson after having spent much of the last decade researching and working in refugee camps in Jordan: a camp is an easy response to mass displacement, but never a solution. You can imagine my concern when I heard that my home city, Chicago, had announced plans to build two winterized base camps in the South Side. Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration claims that this base camp will not be a refugee camp.

* South Side Weekly | At a NYC Reticketing Site, Some Migrants Are Choosing Chicago: The Weekly spoke to several migrants outside St. Brigid who were evicted from the city’s shelter system about where they might choose to travel, and whether they consider Chicago an attractive destination. The responses were mixed, and many said their ties to family or friends in destination cities were more consequential than the level of public services provided by the cities. Most of the people we spoke to were not aware of what services Chicago is providing. … While NYC officials maintain that the reticketing option is purely voluntary, migrants say that the lack of other options and poor conditions at shelters are squeezing them out.

* Patch | 20% Cut To NYC Migrant Spending Needed To Avoid ‘Serious Fiscal Harm’: The state has since signaled plans to limit asylum seeker services such as legal services, case management and job placement “as opposed to costly housing and shelter needs,” Jiha wrote, a move that could prove disastrous for a city that has already planned for the state to cover a third of the Big Apple’s total asylum seeker expenses.

* Block Club | Underfunding In Chicago’s Health Department Hurts Black And Brown Communities Most, Advocates Say: Wagaw addressed the department’s funding model and other challenges facing the health department during last month’s budget hearing. She told alderpeople relying on grants to fund public health was “not a good model,” but she doesn’t “know the answer moving forward.” Principally, what the department needs is more state and city tax dollars to expand or introduce programs like community health workers, nurse home-visiting services, Healthy Chicago Equity Zones, migrant health and community health assessment and planning, Epplin said during last month’s budget hearing.

  5 Comments      


Question of the day

Tuesday, Nov 21, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* We will be shutting down the blog at the end of business day today, but I will likely have a subscriber edition tomorrow.

What are you most thankful for this year?

  37 Comments      


Open thread

Tuesday, Nov 21, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s going on? Keep it Illinois-centric please…

  6 Comments      


Isabel’s morning briefing

Tuesday, Nov 21, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI:The Illinois Rainy Day fund reaches $2 billion dollars. WCIA

    -State Comptroller Susana Mendoza deposited $11.5 million into the state’s Rainy Day Fund Monday, bringing the total to $2.005 billion.
    -At the lowest point in 2017 during Illinois’ budget impasse, the fund had only $48,000, which would fund the state for less than 30 seconds.
    -The comptroller has also been advocating for a bill that would require payments into the Rainy Day Fund and the Pension Stabilization Fund.

* Related stories…

* Isabel’s top picks…

    * Trade Show Executive | Chicago Passes Paid Leave Measure That Will Impact Trade Show Attendees: What this means is if someone attends a trade show or conference in Chicago and is in town for more than two hours, they will begin to accrue one hour of sick time and one hour of time off for each 35 hours they work. Even if the employee does not work a full 35 hours during one particular trip, the employer would have to begin recordkeeping to track when the employee would begin to accrue paid time off during subsequent trips. They would also have to comply with providing a notice to an employee about their rights under the ordinance after spending only two hours in Chicago.

    * CJR | Warped Front Pages: By the numbers, of four hundred and eight articles on the front page of the Times during the period we analyzed, about half—two hundred nineteen—were about domestic politics. A generous interpretation found that just ten of those stories explained domestic public policy in any detail; only one front-page article in the lead-up to the midterms really leaned into discussion about a policy matter in Congress: Republican efforts to shrink Social Security. Of three hundred and ninety-three front-page articles in the Post, two hundred fifteen were about domestic politics; our research found only four stories that discussed any form of policy. The Post had no front-page stories in the months ahead of the midterms on policies that candidates aimed to bring to the fore or legislation they intended to pursue. Instead, articles speculated about candidates and discussed where voter bases were leaning.

    * Tribune | Asylum-seekers cleared from once-crowded Chicago police station as city begins to enact new policies: The recent maneuvers paint a picture of the Johnson administration’s evolving response to the thousands of asylum-seekers whose fates have presented some of the mayor’s biggest challenges. Though his office maintains that its goal is to resettle new arrivals, the recent updates and new policies signal Johnson is walking a thin line of both trying to reiterate Chicago’s values as being a welcoming city while prioritizing current residents.

* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…

  18 Comments      


Live coverage

Tuesday, Nov 21, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here or here to follow breaking news. Click here to follow the Ed Burke trial.

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